On this new recording Jan Lisiecki performs under the guidance of another great Mozart interpreter, Christian Zacharias who leads the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Together, they have something great to say about Mozart's Piano Concertos No. 20 and 21.

Interview /
Julie Amacher,
Minnesota Public Radio / 22. January 2013

Even before he turned 18 . . . he already played with the poise and maturity of a seasoned pro . . . Like every other great musician, he has found a distinctive voice in a sea of more than able musicians who may never distinguish themselves from the crowd.

Miscellaneous /
John Terauds,
Musical Toronto / 17. September 2013

. . . [Lisiecki] plays with the assurance of a master in his artistic collaboration with Zacharias. In the tradition of the best musicians, Lisiecki successfully follows the fine line between letting the music speak for itself and letting it speak for the performer. For the listener, there is a strong sense of musical structure in the interpretation -- the feeling for the music -- that pianist and conductor obviously share. The consensus of the two in musical approach is evident everywhere . . . Strong, unassuming playing from Lisiecki throughout -- and lots of playful exuberance in the more lighthearted passages. The cadenzas show Lisiecki at his articulate best in summing up the musical high points of the music . . . Mozart himself would have approved.

Record Review /
Bob Clark,
Calgary Herald / 16. April 2012

. . . [a] great contribution to the world of classical piano . . . Lisiecki, confident at the keyboard, takes on the role of singer, colouring and shaping each musical phrase with great care. Soloist and orchestra are of one mind throughout these performances, giving the music strong momentum as well as a compelling inner glow. The pianist plays with an ease and assurance well beyond his teenage years . . .

Record Review /
John Terauds,
Musical Toronto / 16. April 2012

. . . even the most credulous might doubt if a pianist this young is ready to record Mozart concertos. All misgivings are dispelled in the performances here. In both, Lisiecki radiates a rare, instinctively natural but uncannily penetrating musicianship. While many pianists place a premium on delicacy and crispness of articulation when playing Mozart, Lisiecki leaves such considerations behind and makes himself the vehicle for the thought, feeling and purpose behind the notes. His Mozart is not beautiful in a static sense; rather, it has a compellingly forward, dynamic quality where by turns he will jump on to a phrase with surprising vehemence or roll out a melody with serene, easy grace. In Piano Concerto No 20 in D minor, K466, Lisiecki fully exposes the feeling of incipient tragedy that underlies this work. Partnered by the highly rated Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under conductor Christian Zacharias, the performance has a dark fierceness that is only magnified by the relaxed, cheerful way they treat the second subject. It is perfectly poised: just when full-scale turbulence threatens to erupt, up comes a sunny face. Similarly, the Romance middle movement is utter simplicity and elegance one moment and vexatious flare-ups the next. They bring the same polarity to Piano Concerto No 21 in C major, K467, most tellingly in an exquisite account of the middle andante movement.

Record Review /
Graham Strahle,
Weekend Australian / 14. July 2012

If Mozart was a child prodigy, the Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki, who here performs both works with assurance and skill, appears something of an equivalent . . . he is one to watch.

Record Review /
Alexander Bryce,
Scotsman / 01. September 2012

Lisiecki's playing on this disc shows modesty and simplicity . . . Tempos are conservative, and though there's some improvisation, it's minimum, and unobtrusive . . . Lisiecki's playing is lovely, crisp without being dry. He has the good fortune to be set up with prime orchestras . . . Zacharias knows what he is doing, and the Bavarian Radio Orchestra shines, with a strong, chiseled sound. This recording reminds me of many other performances of these concertos that I have loved over the years.

Record Review /
Mary Kunz Goldman,
Buffalo News / 20. December 2012

The Canadian pianist played Mozart's piano concertos with obvious assurance and skill, despite his youth . . . obviously a pianist to watch out for.

Record Review /
Alexander Bryce,
Scotsman / 22. December 2012

Canadian pianist Jan Liesiecki is all of 17 years old, but he plays like a musician several times his age . . . he performs with keen attention to texture and nuance. Liesiecki brings telling inflections to the darkness in the Piano Concerto No. 20 and fine clarity and elegant phrasing to the Piano Concerto No. 21. Sensitively in synch with the soloist are conductor Christian Zacharias, himself a superb pianist, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.

His playing here -- pristine, lyrical and intelligent -- shows uncommon maturity. Having just turned 18, Mr. Lisiecki is on a career roll . . . this is beautiful Mozart playing, direct, unmannered and fresh. Mr. Lisiecki is fortunate in his collaborators: the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the conductor Christian Zacharias, better known as a fine pianist, who draws crisp, textured and vibrant playing from the ensemble . . . He conveys the sternness in the movement's more intense passages, but there is welcome refinement in his approach. And when the driving rondo finale breaks into D major ebullience at the end, the shift in tone seems adequately prepared. Mr. Lisiecki is elegant and spirited in the great C major Concerto. This is a detail-oriented pianist who makes every note count and plays with utter rhythmic integrity.

Record Review /
Anthony Tommasini,
The New York Times / 29. March 2013

. . . Lisiecki is a young pianist with a musical voice that belies his age . . . How great to hear a youngster with that amount of personality . . . Chopin remains very close to his heart . . . [Chopin Études CD]: Lisiecki's Polish roots clearly go deep and Chopin's music draws from him a very special, and original, response . . . When, if ever, have you heard the Chopin Etudes played as pure music, given as naturally as breathing yet recreated from an entirely novel perspective? . . . [ Mozart Piano Concertos CD]: [a] fine pianist-conductor Christian Zacharias. But this was certainly not a case of an experienced Mozartian leading the way -- Lisiecki is definitely his own man, with strong views about the music . . . a musician with a golden future ahead of him . . . we hope that his talent is allowed to unfold naturally and true to his musical instincts; his is a gift too rare to be squandered.